Disney doesn't need a 5th gate. What they need to do is fix , replace, or rebuild their antiquated attractions. They need to expand the offerings at AK, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
Pretty much. Same for Universal with a third park. Islands and Studios are disasters right now with so few offerings, so much poorly kept, and a lot of unused space. The market is saturated. They will find out the hard truth soon enough when Epic does nothing except mostly cannibalize their own attendance at the other parks.
@@MrMac1138 naturally their attendance will decrease in those 2 parks but overall attendance should increase. islands of adventure is one of the best theme parks itw and i dont think studios is as bad as you suggest. its the worst of the 3 but it still has some good offerings
They dont need a 5th park. Fix, care for and restore what’s there. Return streetmosphere and things like the mountain climbers and REAL CMs that rock and actually know more than the guests……..Go back to 2015 and they will thrive. No reservations, no phones wit apps that dont work…..etc
Whether is a Disney CM or even Universal TM, I actually learn more from sources like wdwnt and other third party news than directly from the parks themselves.
Disney desperately needs to expand the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom before even thinking of a 5th park. Those two are so constrained by crowds and a lack of attractions, respectively, that they need so much attention
EPCOT needs love too, CommuniCore is a shit excuse of what it was before, Wonders of Life is still abandoned, Journey into Imagination needs a proper refurbishment, and World Showcase needs new counties to occupy the empty expansion pads.
@@samuelwitwicky3900 technically all the parks need love, but I feel Epcot won’t get much because they just did work on it, maybe repurposing the Wonders of Life at last may happen, but that’s it. Animation Courtyard too should be bulldozed at Hollywood Studios, but those two I mentioned are in extreme need of new rides
Disney World absolutely needs more capacity, whether its an entirely new 5th park or a parks worth of new lands and attractions sprinkled throughout the existing four parks. It's hard to think of a single instance where Disney "overbuilt" its parks and lost money because of it.
It would go a long way if they expanded Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom into full park experiences equivalent to Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom almost has twice as many attractions by comparison.
I don’t think a new park will happen under Bob Iger. Not only does his rule of IP only make it extremely difficult to theme well, I also think that Bob Iger would see building a fifth park as admitting that Universal is catching up to Disney and would be a sign of weakness on Disney’s part. I do think that when Bob Iger leaves the company (whenever that is because it doesn’t seem like he has any plans of leaving anytime soon) there’s a greater chance of it becoming a reality.
Disney’s over reliance on its most popular IP is going to be the end of Disney as a corporation and as an entertainment behemoth, I personally would not be surprised if the entire internet will be celebrating the day when Disney eventually declares bankruptcy and is forced to sell all of its assets and properties and then goes belly up.
That’s honestly its main issue, bob iger doesn’t want to spend the money or resources to build a new park. He doesn’t even want to spend it to help fix issues like fast pass so why would he build a new park
Bob Iger has always come across as a TV and film executive first, while the theme parks are something he has never fully understood. Contrast this with Michael Eisner, who had way more of a passion for the parks, despite being completely new to that industry when he first joined Disney.
A villain's land would actually be a great way to incorporate many of the ideas they originally had for Beastly Kingdom. Other ideas: Hades's River Styx (boat ride) Dr. Facilier's Big Tent Revival (like Tiki Room meets Alien Encounter) Cruella's Fashion Show (literally a fashion show with Disney inspired couture outfits) Organization XIII: The Musical And maybe move Gaston's tavern there, too.
A separate land for villains is one of the most ridiculous ideas I've ever heard. Villains and heroes belong together; they're both lame and boring without each other. What are they going to do, take all the villains out of the rest of the park? Take Captain Hook out of Peter Pan's Flight and Ursula out of Journey of the Little Mermaid and confine them to the Villain Ghetto? If Disney ever does do something this boneheaded I'll know they finally lost the last bit of creativity they had.
You gotta put more rides in those parks before a 5th to be realistic, animal kingdom is rumored for lion king, encanto, and Indian jones which would help it. Hollywood would honestly I know some people won’t like this, have to redo and make a new land from either Indiana jones or Star Tours to the entrance of galaxy’s edge and redo animation courtyard, and Epcot maybe just a new county, one more ride back there, and put a new ride either where wonders of life was or replace mission space. MK is probably fine and it is getting expansions from the sounds of it, than a 5th park can succeed
Im still early in the video, but I really dont like the opinion that Disney *has* to immediately open another gate to compete with Universal because it deminishes the work done by both Disney and Universal. Both Disney and Universal parks are feats in artistry, engineering, management, and overall innovation. They're genuine pieces of art, and reducing it down to just a product for a corporation to earn money and mindlessly entertain the masses is a very disheartening take imo.
What they SHOULD have done was make a dedicated Marvel and Star Wars movie park, instead of trying to cram all their Marvel and Star Wars projects and overlays into the existing park infrastructure. Nowadays Epcot and Hollywood Studios feel more like advertising for Disney Plus rather than cohesive and aesthetically consistent theme parks. I don’t have an issue with entire lands based around a single IP, Super Nintendo World is absolutely incredible, and that’s only based on the greater Mario and Donkey Kong franchises. What I DO have a problem with is Disney seeing old rides, and saying “this needs guardians of the galaxy!” as their response, instead of something original
I don’t know nor care what was there before guardians of galaxy cosmic rewind but that ride is the best ride I ever been on!! I hope universal give up its rights on marvel theme park and give it to Disney I want to see a X-men 97 style cosmic rewind ride
@@CarolCityCane305Yeah, along with rides based on the Avengers, along with giving hero a solo ride like Iron man, Thor, Spider-Man, a Black Widow and/or Captain America stunt show, something Hulk related, a Scarlet Witch or Doctor Strange ride or anything based on the Infinity saga characters.
@@CarolCityCane305Yeah, along with rides based on the Avengers, along with giving hero a solo ride like Iron man, Thor, Spider-Man, a Black Widow and/or Captain America stunt show, something Hulk related, a Scarlet Witch or Doctor Strange ride or anything based on the Infinity saga characters.
I think that once a fifth park opens, one of the other parks should completely close for refurbishments, repairs, redesigns, etc, that way when the new and improved version opens, you could then close another one, that way you keep visitors pushed into four parks and thus more money from lightning lanes.
16:50 the problem is that even if Disney decides an additional gate is worth the risk in the next 10-15-20 years, the time it’s been taking them to develop the ideas and actually build anything has been far slower than Universal and they need to start on those ideas NOW, not wait a decade to effect some kind of response. I do agree that having more parks might further cannibalize attendance and certainly that unnecessary Genie/LL cash cow, but given their seemingly limited and less than creative attempts recently to upgrade or improve existing assets, it seems they have or are backing themselves into a corner here. If Epic is as great and successful in reality as lots of us think it will be and Universal DOES do any additional expansion on top of it while the mouse continues to hemorrhage money on failing streaming endeavors and such, it will not turn out well for Disney at ALL.
they should focus on their current parks, personally i skip AK because there isnt much there imo, hollywood studios could do with some updates on rides and new attractions so there arent 2 rides with permanent long queues (rotr and slinky) and epcot update was lackluster. building a 5th park will just bring temporary profits with the sacrifice of the other 3 parks (hs, ak, epcot) getting less investment
So it seems like the core issue presented in this video is that Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom are heavily underdeveloped parks that need to be expanded to full park experiences closer to Magic Kingdom. By comparison, Islands of Adventure offers about just as many attractions as Universal Studios Florida. Disney needs to expand and add more attractions in these parks without just replacing existing attractions.
Honestly, my favorite idea for a new disney park is one called the Yesterworld, where it focuses on either long gone attractions that people want back or lands that were never built in the first place. For instance, all of the people sad about Splash Mountain and Mr. Toad, You can just remake the rides here at this new park and maybe even build Beastly Kingdom, so it can finally exist (also dinoland would fit too Because it's a perfect fit for a theme park that's essentially about prehistoric rides, but I don't know if building a land that still technically exists and will only be closed very soon would be a great idea, not to mention it seems a little weird that 2 entire lands from animal Kingdom take up this place). It would make sense, Magic Kingdom is about bringing the magic of Disney to life. Epcot is about education and the ambitions for the future. MGM Studios celebrates the movie history of disney, Animal Kingdom is about conservation and beauty of life, so yesterworld can be about the dreams of the long gone or never made worlds brought to life ( and is also about the magic of nostalgia, but not in a cringy "remember Star Wars from your childhood?" type of way)
I feel they need to fix and improve the capacity and quality of their existing parks first. However I feel they will eventually do one. But probably closer to Universal's next park than Epic. Also, I feel there might have already been one if Disney had owned the Marvel rights in Orlando. A Marvel MCU focused theme park is the kind of IP focused, brand synergy that makes the Bobs drool. Especially if they built it pre Endgame and peak MCU fever. However, Marvel and the MCU is losing cultural importance. So it might only be an expansion to Hollywood or a part if the new park if Universal let's Disney buy back the rights.
Disney have already pretty much destroyed EPCOT and are on the verge of neutering Animal Kingdom as well, so building a fifth park doesn't address the fundamental issues on Disney's part. Iger & Co. are in an existential crisis and don't even understand their own brand.
Yes Disney can but the question is now is if they should? They are not the only kids in town now and at this point we can admit they are creatively bankrupt. A villains land would be interesting but as we saw in Princess and the frog, they are too scared to actually COMMIT to any villains. Disney is in creative and financial purgatory, they are too afraid to take risks which looses them money, but also not taking risks makes them loose money. Here should be the goal update the parks, stop treating them like a trash heap then we can consider maybe opening a new park.
They need to fix Animal Kingdom first before talking about a 5th park. In a year Animal Kingdom will lose another ride in Dinosaur so they can retheme it with the Tropical Americas. They also need to update or replace some of their rides like Journey Into Imagination at Epcot and Animation Courtyard at Hollywood Studios.
If there is to be a 5th theme park at WDW, I for one would LOVE it to be another Disney Seas made with the supervision or given complete creative control of the creators of DS. I want to go to DS so much but as of this writing doing so will require a LOT of money which I don't have a lot of right now not to mention the language barrier as I don't speak much Japanese and most of what I know is from watching sub anime which, let's be real, is not a proper way to learn Japanese. But a DS being built in Florida would allow me to go to there and seeing that we have 6 Disneylands and at least two Hollywood Studios why not have another Disney Seas. I know why that's unlikely as Disney doesn't technically own Disney Seas but I would love to be able to go there as often as I do with Walt Disney World. And it would be a great addition to the other parks. We have the classic Disneyland in Magic Kingdom, The ever changing future of Epcot, the fun identity crisis of Hollywood Studios and the beauty of Animal Kingdom. The immersive theming of Disney Seas would be a great addition to these other parks and because WDW is in Florida the Sea theme would fit perfectly just as much as it does in Tokyo. Long shot, yes but Disney is all about dreamings coming true so why can't this dream be included?
In my personal opinion, Disney should start considering selling off parts of the company they bought but haven't used much if at all. A yard sale from the Disney Vault, you could say.
@@Chris-qc3gw Or Lucas Films or Marvel for that matter. Pretty much everything they've done with these IP's has gone to shit and very poorly implemented. Galaxy's Edge is a great example of this as well as the Starship Cruiser hotel failure.
To be honest even if they do decide to do a 5th theme park will they even make an actual effort into giving it the funding and attention it needs to really make it shine? I mean if they're not giving their existing parks and lands the much needed fixing and care they need to keep them afloat then in what world will they actually put the effort needed to make the 5th park work? Especially if the theme they choose will be one people be wanting for such as one dedicated to the Disney Villains? It's another reason why Universal is becoming more and more beloved in the Orlando area because they actually make sure they give the attention needed for both their existing parks and their upcoming ones. Even theme parks like Dollywood has become more popular due to having the same mindset as Universal in that regard.
18:23 Epic Universe (EU) doesn’t cost a mere 2B. Alicia Stella (EU Expert) said on the world class attraction podcast that those numbers are coming from the *yearly* spending on EU, not the cumulative spending. Universal has actually spent in the range of $7-9B to construct EU (not including liscencing fees if I remember correctly).
I don’t think so I mean none of the parks have barely reached capacity which IMO is when you need to build a new theme park, that’s why they built Epcot and what would even be the theme of the park?? Also I am afraid that history could repeat itself with universal with the over expanding. It happened to Disney. They are adding horror nights to Vegas, a new kid theme park, a new park in London, and a new park in Florida. Do you guys remember what happened with Disney quest, Euro Disneyland, MGM?? They are seriously over expanding and there is simply no need for it and I know some people will say well the French don’t like us well the Brits don’t really like us either. Anyway I am scared history might repeat itself.
A better guest experience (like the period when there where paper fast passes) would entice me to give Disney another try. Current Disney is too depressing for me, I stick with Universal.
Doubt it as Epic Universe will probably end up as a massive failure for Universal. I expect it will draw well - but it will not cause people to spend an extra day at Universal. It will cause them to just split one day between those legacy parks. Orlando is fairly saturated. 4 Disney parks, 2 Universal, and Sea World right now. That can be 7 full days. The only way another park would work is if it takes away from competition. The only way to do that is make the current parks exceptional and then make another exceptional park, meaning that visitors will NEED an extra day at your parks.
@@MrMac1138 LOL you think people are flying into Orlando to go to SeaWorld? Give me a break! hahahaha! You're just hoping Epic Universe will be a massive failure. Universal is just going to be very strategic with its ticketing so people will have to visit its current parks. They're not going to make it easy to have an Epic Universe only vacation. They're going to make it very lucrative to stay at a Universal hotel with a Universal ticket package that may include all 4 parks. This all steals revenue from WDW which it badly needs. Disney isn't exactly in a great financial position as a company.
If I am being honest, I can only see a fifth park happening if and when Disney get Marvel in the Florida parks. Since with the amount of land they have, I can already see them going all out with it. Since the only place I can see them put an Avengers campus is in Epcot, due to Guardians of the Galaxy being there. But with a fifth park, then they will have more wiggle room in comparison to a small spot in Epcot .They could not only add Marvel to it, but other things like Frozen, Zootopia, or attractions based on other properties like Tangled, Lilo and Stitch, Wreck it Ralph and whatever they'd like.
Honestly, the four existing parks need way more love than a new sibling park. There's less character meet and greets available, little to no street atmosphere in any park but Magic Kingdom especially, the rides are a severe pendulum of quality/operational status, and the mantra of charge more for less is making the parks feel like a chore to visit. I shouldn't need 3 study guides to figure out how to get a Lightning Lane for Tron or Runaway Railway or even Expedition Everest as an average guest! Fixing those issues will broaden your market beyond Disney adults only enjoying the parks, give people more true freedom in spending money, and just makes a better resort overall. Universal is doing all those things in Orlando and Disney can do this in Anaheim, why not in WDW?
Considering how the approval for this was worded, if it does happen, it's likely to be more than a decade before it's a reality. They've allocated around 8$ billion dollars for building offices. Presumably for the express purpose of relocating the office space that was supposed to be in lake Nona. With a maximum of 17$ billion dollars in total to be spent at the entire resort. With permission to build a new park. Personally, I'd rather see them really improve the overall cleanliness and maintenance all around the resort and improve the rides that have been there for decades that really need major renovations and repairs.
Very good point here. Just my opinion but I really hate the whole pay to skip the line model. The bigger the line gets the more people are willing to pay to skip the line. Then the regular lines goes slower cause everyone is paying to skip. Just sets off a chain reaction to make more people suffer. Glad I got to go as a kid in the mid 90s before all of those passes started. I'm sure they can add 2-3 more rides to each current park and help a little.
I keep having this recurring thought that in the future Disney will again attempt to build a smaller theme park outside Fl and CA. Especially when thinking about universal’s Texas and Vegas expansions. Then I also think about Disney funding/building a new park outside the US. Although a Latin American or African Disney park sounds impossible.
You used the weighing scale wrong. The side which is favoured (eg Revenue/Profit vs Guest experience) is where the bar is lower. So if Guest Experience will improve with a fifth gate but hurt profits, the bar will be tilt lower on the Guest experience side and be higher on the Revenue/Profit side. That would show that Guest Experience 'has more weight in this condition than Revenue/Profit'.
In my opinion i think Disney should look on keep expanding within the current parks and look into building or adding a new resort (like buy a property from the new Six flags chain) rather than building a new park. I think something like that would more value and bring more true competition to Universal rather than the 5th park. However i guess we will find out at D23 what Disney decides to do.
A 5th gate is inevitable but right now is not the time. 3 of the 4 parks are incomplete and in various states of construction. Even MK has plenty of room for expansion. A new gate would be the biggest solution to crowds but take the longest time to do. They just don’t build them as fast as they used to :/
what do you guys think the fifth theme park would be about? all i could come up with is it's a place where disney puts attractions they got rid of in their other four parks, but then there would be two test tracks because the 2nd version closed forever not too long ago
It makes much more sense to continue upgrading & expanding the four existing parks. Obviously Universal is going to have the bigger thrill rides which will cater to the adults and teens... while Disney wants most of their attractions to be accessible to all kids over the age of, say, 5. Like my 6 year old last month was barely able to get onto Tron, and it was the highlight of her vacation. Build out and add more of that. Safe and fun for kids and impressive to adults as well. As I look at this lightening lane plan with tiers, it's kinda silly how Epcot and Animal Kingdom have so few actual rides that people would want to skip the lines for. Get creative and add more of the attractions that align with Disney's identity in the market.
The only way WDW should build a 5th park is if they get the theme park rights to Marvel in Orlando (because a 5th gate would be the best location for Marvel), but in general, no, they don't need a 5th gate...
Then it would never happen because I doubt Universal will ever give up rights to Marvel in Orlando. And it would cost Disney tens of billions of dollars to get the rights from Universal. Disney would basically not only have to buy the rights from Universal, but also give them enough money to tear down or completely redo Marvel Superhero Island at IOA and possibly also enough money to secure new IP for that land.
Is there a balance between existing parks so much that ticket prices have to be raised to unsustainable levels, and building a fifth park? You also have to take into consideration the logistics of either expanding the other parks or adding a park, as each presents different challenges for traffic, utilities, flow of people, etc.
I don’t think a 5th theme park is necessary , however it’s not a bad idea. What they need to accept with that choice though is people will likely no longer be visiting every park during their trip anymore. That said, if they add a 5th gate it will offer another option for consumers who don’t care for one of the existing parks and may keep people on property longer. Lets say they don’t have any more expansions planned for AK and HS, they will remain 1/2 day parks. The next park must be a super park on the level of Epic.
I think a 5th gate would be beneficial for Florida, as since Disney is more popular at the moment, Epic Universe would have less people in it, making it more enjoyable
If Disney builds a new park they should base it on their 20th century studios properties and aim it at an older audience. Alien, predator, and planet of the apes are perfect for land ideas and they already have avatar. Plus a 20th century would finally allow Disney to make a true competitor to Halloween horror nights.
just yesterday it was announced that Disney will be paying $2.6 BILLION annually over the next 11 years to the NBA for broadcasting rights. we're not seeing any major investments in the parks anytime soon.
A fifth park will just split guests between their parks. A 7 day vacation is hectic enough with 4 parks, 2 water parks, several entertainment districts. Going to 4 parks, a water parks, and another entertainment venue is exhausting.
Both water parks have seasonal maintenance closures, and only draw around 2 million guests annually, which is a fraction of what the "dry" parks draw (8 million to 20 million), even though they are the top water parks in the world in terms of attendance. Not many guests are visiting both water parks on a single trip. A fifth theme park might make sense for Disney to lock in those who are doing a full week rather than them venturing off resort to something like Sea World or Universal.
@vamoscruceros I know the water parks are season but a 7 day trip requires 2 days of travel as well. 4 parks plus a water park, or a relax day, or another theme park outside Disney still is a lot. The water parks have gone seasonal because Disney knows they can't operate both when many might skip a water park day to go to an off-site park.
That's only if you try to do everything in one trip. Having a 5th park along with improvements to the existing 4 parks would provide incentives for multiple returns visits. That should be their goal. Getting new guests while retaining old guests. That's how Disney used to operate before Bob Iger took over. He was a lousy weather man, and he's a he's a lousy CEO. He has single handedly ruined The Walt Diney Corporation.
@@brianhernandez589 Disney is about quality over quality, and understanding those that stay at their hotels should have access to all the parks. 5 parks at Disney will consume all their time, but they will go elsewhere to please other members.
Disney needs to expand and i heard on someone else’s video on youtube they did research and believe a new park is going to be built soon. they need to expand
just a random thought, what if disney or universal built another park but in tampa or miami? its close enough that orlando visitors can go there (especially with brightline now) but it may not mess with the orlando market too much. otherwise just build a two park resort in texas or something
You get the same Disney Magic as everyone else...just fly to Orlando. Disney is never going to build a park in the midwest. People aren't going to fly into the midwest just to go to a theme park when there's nothing to do around it. Disney isn't interested in building regional parks.
I certainly hope not; not while they're too cheap to run the parks they've already got at full capacity, Chronic understaffing and staff demoralization, buildings sitting empty and unused, attractions constantly breaking down from lack of preventive maintenance (and things as simple as keeping spare parts on hand), no concept of Crowd Control 101, etc. Building a fifth park would be like adding a room to your house instead of taking the garbage out.
Don’t know when we will see it implemented and built, but Universal already has started on plans for a fourth theme park. They have the space. They have the money. They have the drive. They want the revenue.
They need to put more attractions in their other three theme parks besides the magic Kingdom first before they even think about opening a fifth park. That would make people happy!
I also can’t help but love the way you trash talk Disney like Uni is so much better. It’s actually hilarious. The quality isn’t even comparable. Uni asks you for a satisfaction survey as soon as you scan into the park. The low wait times at Uni parks is because the rides actually suck really bad. Who wants to waste time on a Hollywood Tram tour ride like F&F and Kong. The fact that your promoting Universal as much as you do makes me think your getting some type of compensation from them. The only think they have over Disney right now is HHN.
This comment is just for fun but like: ..Imagine for a second, an Anti-Magic Kingdom. A Magic kingdom for villains with like more teens/adults park with coasters and stuff
How do you build a 5th Park without building a 5th Park? Easy... Just build a 5th park's worth of content through four current parks. Actually I'm on record saying I'm okay with a fifth gate. I don't believe the market has reached its saturation point. I believe there is sufficient appetite for premium experiences that have great value. Emphasis on the value part. Take a look at all the other parks that are currently in development across the country... The Mattel Park (and they are already talking about expanding ), Universal Frisco, American heartland, or whatever they're calling that, and a few others. Additionally, consider how the cruise lines are adding mega ships left and right. Somebody is filling up those cruise ships, right? Lastly does anyone doubt that at some point Universal will add a fourth gate in Orlando? With all the land surrounding epic Universe and all the rumors about future expansion, I think it's a solid bet that at some point we will see a fourth gate for Universal. At the end of the day I think the bottom line is do you have great attractions at a great price point that people want to see. If Disney decides on a fifth gate, then it's obviously a long-term investment. I don't think they would expect immediate ROI. A project like that would have a 20 - 25 year projection.
I think three parks is enough for Universal for now considering they have to update Universal Studios Florida and replace the Lost Continent. However I agree that Universal will build a 4th gate sometime in the future.
@@jaydenchrist6152 I do agree. However, Universal appears to have no fear in building multiple projects at once. As we speak, they are well under way with Fast n Furious over in Hollywood, they have already began moving earth in Frisco & they will be announcing any day now, that they will be moving forward with Universal Great Britain. Additionally, the Simpsons IP expires in 2028, and I doubt they will leave a hole that big at Studios. That's 4 projects likely to be going on at the same time within 5 yrs. And this is not to mention, the substantial rumors for Creature from the Black Lagoon in Dark Universe, Luigi's Mansion in SNW, Zelda for Lost Continent and the replacement for Spiderman in Universal Japan. There is a lot on the table.
i always hear the argument that disney shouldn’t build a 5th gate because their other parks are lacking in quantity and quality (which i 100% agree with) but how come universal gets the appraisal for opening a 3rd gate when their existing 2 kind of also lack in quantity and quality. like yeah i get hagrid’s and velocicoaster are absolutely phenomenal but that doesn’t take away the fact that the rest of universals parks are in dire need of attention
I think the reason is a park issue. Like yes I agree Universal needs to update both of its current parks especially Universal Studios however two parks just aren't enough to spend a week vacation which is what Universal wants there guests to do.
Honestly I think there should be a 5th park. Put in IP that doesn't fit in any of the other parks. EDIT: But WDW should address the issues currently plaguing the already-existing parks first.
They need to fix their shit thats broken and add to the empty parks like animal kingdom and Epcot. The capacity issue can be fixed with an additional resort in Texas, so that Florida can drop back down to their old, designed capacities
I don't want another park just new lands instead since Disney really don't maintain the current parks very well Pandora and splash mountain/tiannas are both evidence of this i feel like another theme park will just make a expensive holiday even more costly for guests and it's not exactly good value now
I don’t think Disney needs a fifth park. Upgrade animal kingdom. It currently a half day park. It needs more rides and more/better lands. The other parks are in a good place I think. But a villains land in magic kingdom, and something in the middle of the world showcase would be good.
I really think Disney made too many parks too quickly. Universal has a bunch of possibility to expand because, in order to catch up, they need to add two theme parks and one more water park. Disney can't compete when Universal adds a theme park because they're already so far ahead.
The reason a 5th gate is appealing is because Disney has allowed several of its parks to meander into a mushy meaningless existence, where the park's theme and layout (what IPs and ideas are located where) seem arbitrary and haphazard...like they are "just making it up as they go." In your video you say "they seem lost" and "they seem like they are walking blind through what they're doing." Could the same be said of Universal? Absolutely not. Over at Epic Universe they are coming on with a bold, clear, powerful vision. They have a hub/entry land that feels neutral and tied to the centerpiece hotel and then there are cohesive portal entrances to the lands, which feels organized and beautiful. It's like the Disney castle parks original hub and spoke approach but even more disciplined, as those castle parks have meandered off with lands sprouting from lands (which will get even more exaggerated with Beyond Big Thunder at Magic Kingdom and Disney Forward at Disneyland) and IPs intermingled in random ways (Star Tours in Tomorrowland yet there's an actual Galaxy's Edge Star Wars land?...An example of countless ways where the immersive potency is undermined). That "park sprawl" is what is making the Disney parks start to feel like a regional amusement parks in overall premise and layout. Whereas Epic Universe is promising a fresh, clean, start with an elegant grand scheme. At Epic Universe, I know I'm not going to find a Mario attraction in the Harry Potter area, or Dracula in the How to Train Your Dragon land. But the same cannot be said for Disney...for example, that "Tropical Americas" area proposed for Disney Animal Kingdom which mixes Encanto with Indiana Jones...that's regional amusement park rubbish. A hodgepodge of IPs crammed together based on some weak association. It's not "best-in-class" in terms of approach to theme park design. Doing that sort of stuff is how Disney is handing the mantle of theme park excellence to Universal. It's appealing for Disney to build a 5th park so they can start fresh, with a vision, and discipline. But, when given the chance with Disney California Adventure they completed botched the opportunity and created a weird meandering asymmetric park (with sightlines of nearby hotels and power lines!) right from the start. So it's not clear the Disney company *even understands or has the creative talent* to do what Universal can do. There is a *lack of trust* in the Disney brand nowadays (and that's what brand owners like Disney are most desperate to achieve...trust) which is a major sea-change. Universal is not just growing its resort, it's growing its consumer trust relative to Disney's.
Great points. But what if the attractions they build are world-class and absolutely fantastic? Does everything have to revolve around a cohesive park layout or rules about what should go where? For example, cosmic rewind does not belong in Epcot in my opinion, but I absolutely love the ride. So then the question might be... how much less do I enjoy the ride because it's in Epcot? And my personal answer to that is, not very much. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, I think we place a little too much emphasis on these strict rules saying where things should go based on theming & cohesion. I would rather have a bunch of fantastic, awesome rides loosely themed than a bunch of mediocre rides that are very well-themed in cohesive lands.
@@LChatmanFL I understand your point, but I guess I don't see it as a trade off, I think we can have brilliant attractions AND a well developed environment, retail, merchandise, and food. There are different types of guests, some come for the attractions mostly, some come to sit on a bench and soak up the atmosphere, some are all about the food, and some love the merch, and of course some love different combos. I, for example, have very little interest in the food or merch, but I can respect those guests who really love those aspects and make videos and podcasts about them! I think Disney parks -- to be top of the top -- need to hit on all these aspects (or else a competitor will). Beyond that, I do think styles and tastes in entertainment change. Bowling alleys, roller rinks, video game arcades, theme restaurants, drive-in theaters...there are many forms of entertainment that have "gone away" for the most part. I think in the world of theme parks, styles and tastes have changed too. Disneyland was a revelation when it was built, with lands based on genres like the Frontier, Adventure (jungle), Tomorrowland (the future) and Fantasy. In each land was a potpourri of attractions based on the genre. It was very strong and cohesive *for its time* compared to other amusement parks where neighboring attractions were entirely unrelated, often operated by different owners under "concession" deals (even Knott's operated like that at first). But I think the lands that have gotten the greatest response in recent years are cohesive and "immersive" within a more specific theme or IP rather than a broad genre. The Harry Potter lands at Universal, and Cars Land at DCA being great examples domestically. I think all the lands at Epic Universe will showcase this "more modern" approach to theme parks, and be well received. But, to your point, the attractions need to be world-class and fantastic! So, just making a focused land is not enough -- Avengers Campus could have been great but is a failure, in my mind, because it lacks the world-class, fantastic attractions. The reason there's all the talk about how Tiana's fits in -- or doesn't -- in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland, and whether nearby buildings and restaurants should be changed to a bayou setting, is because there is an expectation now for a more cohesive presentation of attractions, food, merch. So when I see Disney doing a Tropic Americas land melding Encanto and Indiana Jones, I'm thinking they are following an outdated playbook.
@@DrStarlander I enjoyed reading your response. Very well balanced, cogent and "cohesive." I wish all discourse could be this way. I think you're spot on when you suggest that Disney raised the bar so high in the beginning that the expectation remains there. Additionally, the ideal would be to have the best of both worlds for sure. And epic universe appears poised to offer that modern theme park design philosophy that you speak of. Meaning complete immersion and fantastic rides. Ironically, your position actually highlights why I think a fifth gate might be best. Having to shoehorn various IPs into pre-existing lands versus building a fifth gate where you have a clean slate, is the point I am making. Imagine a park from scratch with Villains land, a Hero's Land, a YesterYear land (filled with older nostalgic IP like Bambi or other deserving older IPs, maybe 101 Dalmatians) and finally something completely original and unexpected with never before seen characters... not movie based nor tv based. They could use an original IP land to introduce more thrilling attractions or all family-based attractions. Too bad Avatar is already in AK. Imagine 17 acres of Pandora with 3 or 4 great attractions! **Edit Too bad they can't use Marvel in Orlando. Avengers Campus might have been better in Orlando.
Imagine a park like Disney Sea coming to Orlando i would absolutely love it. Anyways you are right as of right now under Iger disney dosent have the discipline to build an immersive 5th park due to their current phase of IP dumping in areas they don't really fit. A fifth theme park in the Iger Era would just be another Disney Adventure World in Paris. Say what you want about Eisner he knew how to make a coherent theme for a park like Animal Kingdom and MGM Studios even if the theme of the park was not that great like California Adventure.
If it isn't the political conditions, it's going to be global warming and water woes. A 25-year investment might not be a great idea at this point... Aside from that, it's a matter of properly funding operations & maintenance. I'm not sure if more people-eaters will help or if it will just be a red queen's race. Add capacity, demand increases still further.
Hopefully they don’t build a 5th park in Orlando. Visiting 4 parks is already now at the limit of affordability for a lot of people. So they should rather focus on optimizing the existing parks, so they are competitive with Universal.
They should make a park for older enthusiasts, so instead of family rides there should be more heavily themed rollercoasters like Cosmic Rewind, and if they did, it could be the greatest Disney park.
They're open until 9 and 10pm every night. What are you talking about? They can't have the same hours of operation as WDW during some times of the year (mainly after summer) because of their proximity to the residential area UO is currently in. This is also why you never see big fireworks shows at UO either. It's just simple pyro and fireworks they go out fairly quickly.
If Disney adds a 5th gate before addressing the genuinely pathetic capacity at Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom, then we’ll know the golden age of Disney Parks is over
Disney doesn't need a 5th gate. What they need to do is fix , replace, or rebuild their antiquated attractions. They need to expand the offerings at AK, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
Agree
Pretty much. Same for Universal with a third park. Islands and Studios are disasters right now with so few offerings, so much poorly kept, and a lot of unused space. The market is saturated. They will find out the hard truth soon enough when Epic does nothing except mostly cannibalize their own attendance at the other parks.
@@MrMac1138 they are sure as hell not. But hey your opinion.
@@MrMac1138 naturally their attendance will decrease in those 2 parks but overall attendance should increase. islands of adventure is one of the best theme parks itw and i dont think studios is as bad as you suggest. its the worst of the 3 but it still has some good offerings
Absolutely agreed. Same for Universal
They dont need a 5th park. Fix, care for and restore what’s there. Return streetmosphere and things like the mountain climbers and REAL CMs that rock and actually know more than the guests……..Go back to 2015 and they will thrive. No reservations, no phones wit apps that dont work…..etc
This! 💯
I agree with everything except the app it works very well with making reservations and the fast pass system back in 2015
Whether is a Disney CM or even Universal TM, I actually learn more from sources like wdwnt and other third party news than directly from the parks themselves.
Disney desperately needs to expand the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom before even thinking of a 5th park. Those two are so constrained by crowds and a lack of attractions, respectively, that they need so much attention
EPCOT needs love too, CommuniCore is a shit excuse of what it was before, Wonders of Life is still abandoned, Journey into Imagination needs a proper refurbishment, and World Showcase needs new counties to occupy the empty expansion pads.
@@samuelwitwicky3900 technically all the parks need love, but I feel Epcot won’t get much because they just did work on it, maybe repurposing the Wonders of Life at last may happen, but that’s it. Animation Courtyard too should be bulldozed at Hollywood Studios, but those two I mentioned are in extreme need of new rides
Disney World absolutely needs more capacity, whether its an entirely new 5th park or a parks worth of new lands and attractions sprinkled throughout the existing four parks. It's hard to think of a single instance where Disney "overbuilt" its parks and lost money because of it.
It would go a long way if they expanded Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom into full park experiences equivalent to Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom almost has twice as many attractions by comparison.
I don’t think a new park will happen under Bob Iger. Not only does his rule of IP only make it extremely difficult to theme well, I also think that Bob Iger would see building a fifth park as admitting that Universal is catching up to Disney and would be a sign of weakness on Disney’s part. I do think that when Bob Iger leaves the company (whenever that is because it doesn’t seem like he has any plans of leaving anytime soon) there’s a greater chance of it becoming a reality.
Disney’s over reliance on its most popular IP is going to be the end of Disney as a corporation and as an entertainment behemoth, I personally would not be surprised if the entire internet will be celebrating the day when Disney eventually declares bankruptcy and is forced to sell all of its assets and properties and then goes belly up.
That’s honestly its main issue, bob iger doesn’t want to spend the money or resources to build a new park. He doesn’t even want to spend it to help fix issues like fast pass so why would he build a new park
@@curtailedbike4123 Disney would have been in a better position right now if Don Bluth had been made the head of Disney.
Bob Iger has always come across as a TV and film executive first, while the theme parks are something he has never fully understood. Contrast this with Michael Eisner, who had way more of a passion for the parks, despite being completely new to that industry when he first joined Disney.
Facts and if a 5th park does happen watch it be another Disney's Adventure World where IPs are just dumped without thought or consideration.
A villain's land would actually be a great way to incorporate many of the ideas they originally had for Beastly Kingdom. Other ideas:
Hades's River Styx (boat ride)
Dr. Facilier's Big Tent Revival (like Tiki Room meets Alien Encounter)
Cruella's Fashion Show (literally a fashion show with Disney inspired couture outfits)
Organization XIII: The Musical
And maybe move Gaston's tavern there, too.
I've never been a fan of a villain's land whatsoever. However, I'm willing to put one in a 5th WDW theme park.
A separate land for villains is one of the most ridiculous ideas I've ever heard. Villains and heroes belong together; they're both lame and boring without each other. What are they going to do, take all the villains out of the rest of the park? Take Captain Hook out of Peter Pan's Flight and Ursula out of Journey of the Little Mermaid and confine them to the Villain Ghetto? If Disney ever does do something this boneheaded I'll know they finally lost the last bit of creativity they had.
@@ttintagel thank you for saying what I was afraid to.
@@ttintagel "What are they going to do, take all the villains out of the rest of the park? "
No. Literally nobody suggested this.
Corny and gimmicky tbh
You gotta put more rides in those parks before a 5th to be realistic, animal kingdom is rumored for lion king, encanto, and Indian jones which would help it. Hollywood would honestly I know some people won’t like this, have to redo and make a new land from either Indiana jones or Star Tours to the entrance of galaxy’s edge and redo animation courtyard, and Epcot maybe just a new county, one more ride back there, and put a new ride either where wonders of life was or replace mission space. MK is probably fine and it is getting expansions from the sounds of it, than a 5th park can succeed
Im still early in the video, but I really dont like the opinion that Disney *has* to immediately open another gate to compete with Universal because it deminishes the work done by both Disney and Universal.
Both Disney and Universal parks are feats in artistry, engineering, management, and overall innovation. They're genuine pieces of art, and reducing it down to just a product for a corporation to earn money and mindlessly entertain the masses is a very disheartening take imo.
What they SHOULD have done was make a dedicated Marvel and Star Wars movie park, instead of trying to cram all their Marvel and Star Wars projects and overlays into the existing park infrastructure.
Nowadays Epcot and Hollywood Studios feel more like advertising for Disney Plus rather than cohesive and aesthetically consistent theme parks.
I don’t have an issue with entire lands based around a single IP, Super Nintendo World is absolutely incredible, and that’s only based on the greater Mario and Donkey Kong
franchises.
What I DO have a problem with is Disney seeing old rides, and saying “this needs guardians of the galaxy!” as their response, instead of something original
I don’t know nor care what was there before guardians of galaxy cosmic rewind but that ride is the best ride I ever been on!! I hope universal give up its rights on marvel theme park and give it to Disney I want to see a X-men 97 style cosmic rewind ride
@@CarolCityCane305Yeah, along with rides based on the Avengers, along with giving hero a solo ride like Iron man, Thor, Spider-Man, a Black Widow and/or Captain America stunt show, something Hulk related, a Scarlet Witch or Doctor Strange ride or anything based on the Infinity saga characters.
@@CarolCityCane305Yeah, along with rides based on the Avengers, along with giving hero a solo ride like Iron man, Thor, Spider-Man, a Black Widow and/or Captain America stunt show, something Hulk related, a Scarlet Witch or Doctor Strange ride or anything based on the Infinity saga characters.
They should do a “Florida Adventure” style park
That would be cool in theory, although with the IP rule I doubt it could happen
And make a Universal Orlando land with a Mario Kart themed Autopia, Spider Man zip liner, and Jaws dark ride.
Nah, make a Florida man park
So just gator land
Nah, a Florida Adventure park is too full of bath salts and domestic violence
I think that once a fifth park opens, one of the other parks should completely close for refurbishments, repairs, redesigns, etc, that way when the new and improved version opens, you could then close another one, that way you keep visitors pushed into four parks and thus more money from lightning lanes.
16:50 the problem is that even if Disney decides an additional gate is worth the risk in the next 10-15-20 years, the time it’s been taking them to develop the ideas and actually build anything has been far slower than Universal and they need to start on those ideas NOW, not wait a decade to effect some kind of response. I do agree that having more parks might further cannibalize attendance and certainly that unnecessary Genie/LL cash cow, but given their seemingly limited and less than creative attempts recently to upgrade or improve existing assets, it seems they have or are backing themselves into a corner here. If Epic is as great and successful in reality as lots of us think it will be and Universal DOES do any additional expansion on top of it while the mouse continues to hemorrhage money on failing streaming endeavors and such, it will not turn out well for Disney at ALL.
they should focus on their current parks, personally i skip AK because there isnt much there imo, hollywood studios could do with some updates on rides and new attractions so there arent 2 rides with permanent long queues (rotr and slinky) and epcot update was lackluster. building a 5th park will just bring temporary profits with the sacrifice of the other 3 parks (hs, ak, epcot) getting less investment
So it seems like the core issue presented in this video is that Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom are heavily underdeveloped parks that need to be expanded to full park experiences closer to Magic Kingdom. By comparison, Islands of Adventure offers about just as many attractions as Universal Studios Florida. Disney needs to expand and add more attractions in these parks without just replacing existing attractions.
Honestly, my favorite idea for a new disney park is one called the Yesterworld, where it focuses on either long gone attractions that people want back or lands that were never built in the first place. For instance, all of the people sad about Splash Mountain and Mr. Toad, You can just remake the rides here at this new park and maybe even build Beastly Kingdom, so it can finally exist (also dinoland would fit too Because it's a perfect fit for a theme park that's essentially about prehistoric rides, but I don't know if building a land that still technically exists and will only be closed very soon would be a great idea, not to mention it seems a little weird that 2 entire lands from animal Kingdom take up this place). It would make sense, Magic Kingdom is about bringing the magic of Disney to life. Epcot is about education and the ambitions for the future. MGM Studios celebrates the movie history of disney, Animal Kingdom is about conservation and beauty of life, so yesterworld can be about the dreams of the long gone or never made worlds brought to life ( and is also about the magic of nostalgia, but not in a cringy "remember Star Wars from your childhood?" type of way)
I feel they need to fix and improve the capacity and quality of their existing parks first. However I feel they will eventually do one. But probably closer to Universal's next park than Epic.
Also, I feel there might have already been one if Disney had owned the Marvel rights in Orlando. A Marvel MCU focused theme park is the kind of IP focused, brand synergy that makes the Bobs drool. Especially if they built it pre Endgame and peak MCU fever.
However, Marvel and the MCU is losing cultural importance. So it might only be an expansion to Hollywood or a part if the new park if Universal let's Disney buy back the rights.
Disney have already pretty much destroyed EPCOT and are on the verge of neutering Animal Kingdom as well, so building a fifth park doesn't address the fundamental issues on Disney's part. Iger & Co. are in an existential crisis and don't even understand their own brand.
This is a banger (I just started watching)
Yes Disney can but the question is now is if they should? They are not the only kids in town now and at this point we can admit they are creatively bankrupt. A villains land would be interesting but as we saw in Princess and the frog, they are too scared to actually COMMIT to any villains. Disney is in creative and financial purgatory, they are too afraid to take risks which looses them money, but also not taking risks makes them loose money. Here should be the goal update the parks, stop treating them like a trash heap then we can consider maybe opening a new park.
They need to fix Animal Kingdom first before talking about a 5th park. In a year Animal Kingdom will lose another ride in Dinosaur so they can retheme it with the Tropical Americas. They also need to update or replace some of their rides like Journey Into Imagination at Epcot and Animation Courtyard at Hollywood Studios.
Such a great video!
If there is to be a 5th theme park at WDW, I for one would LOVE it to be another Disney Seas made with the supervision or given complete creative control of the creators of DS. I want to go to DS so much but as of this writing doing so will require a LOT of money which I don't have a lot of right now not to mention the language barrier as I don't speak much Japanese and most of what I know is from watching sub anime which, let's be real, is not a proper way to learn Japanese.
But a DS being built in Florida would allow me to go to there and seeing that we have 6 Disneylands and at least two Hollywood Studios why not have another Disney Seas.
I know why that's unlikely as Disney doesn't technically own Disney Seas but I would love to be able to go there as often as I do with Walt Disney World. And it would be a great addition to the other parks. We have the classic Disneyland in Magic Kingdom, The ever changing future of Epcot, the fun identity crisis of Hollywood Studios and the beauty of Animal Kingdom. The immersive theming of Disney Seas would be a great addition to these other parks and because WDW is in Florida the Sea theme would fit perfectly just as much as it does in Tokyo.
Long shot, yes but Disney is all about dreamings coming true so why can't this dream be included?
I have the same dream as you friend.
In my personal opinion, Disney should start considering selling off parts of the company they bought but haven't used much if at all. A yard sale from the Disney Vault, you could say.
i agree, but they should have never wasted money buying 33% of hulu for 8 billion and 21st century fox for 71 billion
@@Chris-qc3gw Or Lucas Films or Marvel for that matter. Pretty much everything they've done with these IP's has gone to shit and very poorly implemented. Galaxy's Edge is a great example of this as well as the Starship Cruiser hotel failure.
To be honest even if they do decide to do a 5th theme park will they even make an actual effort into giving it the funding and attention it needs to really make it shine? I mean if they're not giving their existing parks and lands the much needed fixing and care they need to keep them afloat then in what world will they actually put the effort needed to make the 5th park work? Especially if the theme they choose will be one people be wanting for such as one dedicated to the Disney Villains?
It's another reason why Universal is becoming more and more beloved in the Orlando area because they actually make sure they give the attention needed for both their existing parks and their upcoming ones. Even theme parks like Dollywood has become more popular due to having the same mindset as Universal in that regard.
Day 1 of waiting for one fish two fish red fish blue fish uncut video
18:23 Epic Universe (EU) doesn’t cost a mere 2B. Alicia Stella (EU Expert) said on the world class attraction podcast that those numbers are coming from the *yearly* spending on EU, not the cumulative spending. Universal has actually spent in the range of $7-9B to construct EU (not including liscencing fees if I remember correctly).
I don’t think so I mean none of the parks have barely reached capacity which IMO is when you need to build a new theme park, that’s why they built Epcot and what would even be the theme of the park?? Also I am afraid that history could repeat itself with universal with the over expanding. It happened to Disney. They are adding horror nights to Vegas, a new kid theme park, a new park in London, and a new park in Florida. Do you guys remember what happened with Disney quest, Euro Disneyland, MGM?? They are seriously over expanding and there is simply no need for it and I know some people will say well the French don’t like us well the Brits don’t really like us either. Anyway I am scared history might repeat itself.
A better guest experience (like the period when there where paper fast passes) would entice me to give Disney another try. Current Disney is too depressing for me, I stick with Universal.
The way its more of a possibility now with Epic Universe otw 😭😭
Doubt it as Epic Universe will probably end up as a massive failure for Universal. I expect it will draw well - but it will not cause people to spend an extra day at Universal. It will cause them to just split one day between those legacy parks. Orlando is fairly saturated. 4 Disney parks, 2 Universal, and Sea World right now. That can be 7 full days. The only way another park would work is if it takes away from competition. The only way to do that is make the current parks exceptional and then make another exceptional park, meaning that visitors will NEED an extra day at your parks.
@@MrMac1138Yes but it could also be a massive success you never know until it opens.
@@MrMac1138 LOL you think people are flying into Orlando to go to SeaWorld? Give me a break! hahahaha! You're just hoping Epic Universe will be a massive failure. Universal is just going to be very strategic with its ticketing so people will have to visit its current parks. They're not going to make it easy to have an Epic Universe only vacation. They're going to make it very lucrative to stay at a Universal hotel with a Universal ticket package that may include all 4 parks. This all steals revenue from WDW which it badly needs. Disney isn't exactly in a great financial position as a company.
I got a taste of the low park levels the week after they opened from Covid and I can confirm it has ruined me wanting to visit when they are busy.
If I am being honest, I can only see a fifth park happening if and when Disney get Marvel in the Florida parks. Since with the amount of land they have, I can already see them going all out with it. Since the only place I can see them put an Avengers campus is in Epcot, due to Guardians of the Galaxy being there. But with a fifth park, then they will have more wiggle room in comparison to a small spot in Epcot .They could not only add Marvel to it, but other things like Frozen, Zootopia, or attractions based on other properties like Tangled, Lilo and Stitch, Wreck it Ralph and whatever they'd like.
Epic universe is where I’m going.
Honestly, the four existing parks need way more love than a new sibling park. There's less character meet and greets available, little to no street atmosphere in any park but Magic Kingdom especially, the rides are a severe pendulum of quality/operational status, and the mantra of charge more for less is making the parks feel like a chore to visit. I shouldn't need 3 study guides to figure out how to get a Lightning Lane for Tron or Runaway Railway or even Expedition Everest as an average guest! Fixing those issues will broaden your market beyond Disney adults only enjoying the parks, give people more true freedom in spending money, and just makes a better resort overall. Universal is doing all those things in Orlando and Disney can do this in Anaheim, why not in WDW?
this video was like a fever dream
Considering how the approval for this was worded, if it does happen, it's likely to be more than a decade before it's a reality. They've allocated around 8$ billion dollars for building offices. Presumably for the express purpose of relocating the office space that was supposed to be in lake Nona. With a maximum of 17$ billion dollars in total to be spent at the entire resort. With permission to build a new park. Personally, I'd rather see them really improve the overall cleanliness and maintenance all around the resort and improve the rides that have been there for decades that really need major renovations and repairs.
Very good point here. Just my opinion but I really hate the whole pay to skip the line model. The bigger the line gets the more people are willing to pay to skip the line. Then the regular lines goes slower cause everyone is paying to skip. Just sets off a chain reaction to make more people suffer. Glad I got to go as a kid in the mid 90s before all of those passes started. I'm sure they can add 2-3 more rides to each current park and help a little.
A fifth park would inevitably be an ip dumping ground. A second Disney adventure world.
True
Native Floridian here, so I can’t help but point this out-conch is pronounced kaangk (or konk) 😊 Great video. You nailed it.
I keep having this recurring thought that in the future Disney will again attempt to build a smaller theme park outside Fl and CA. Especially when thinking about universal’s Texas and Vegas expansions. Then I also think about Disney funding/building a new park outside the US. Although a Latin American or African Disney park sounds impossible.
You used the weighing scale wrong. The side which is favoured (eg Revenue/Profit vs Guest experience) is where the bar is lower. So if Guest Experience will improve with a fifth gate but hurt profits, the bar will be tilt lower on the Guest experience side and be higher on the Revenue/Profit side. That would show that Guest Experience 'has more weight in this condition than Revenue/Profit'.
#Future ATTRACTION IDEAS!!!!!!!!!!!! Clap ClapClapClap Clap
In my opinion i think Disney should look on keep expanding within the current parks and look into building or adding a new resort (like buy a property from the new Six flags chain) rather than building a new park. I think something like that would more value and bring more true competition to Universal rather than the 5th park. However i guess we will find out at D23 what Disney decides to do.
A 5th gate is inevitable but right now is not the time. 3 of the 4 parks are incomplete and in various states of construction. Even MK has plenty of room for expansion. A new gate would be the biggest solution to crowds but take the longest time to do.
They just don’t build them as fast as they used to :/
Disney need to add to and expand Epcot, AK and HS. Then they can worry about a 5th gate
what do you guys think the fifth theme park would be about?
all i could come up with is it's a place where disney puts attractions they got rid of in their other four parks, but then there would be two test tracks because the 2nd version closed forever not too long ago
It makes much more sense to continue upgrading & expanding the four existing parks. Obviously Universal is going to have the bigger thrill rides which will cater to the adults and teens... while Disney wants most of their attractions to be accessible to all kids over the age of, say, 5. Like my 6 year old last month was barely able to get onto Tron, and it was the highlight of her vacation. Build out and add more of that. Safe and fun for kids and impressive to adults as well. As I look at this lightening lane plan with tiers, it's kinda silly how Epcot and Animal Kingdom have so few actual rides that people would want to skip the lines for. Get creative and add more of the attractions that align with Disney's identity in the market.
The only way WDW should build a 5th park is if they get the theme park rights to Marvel in Orlando (because a 5th gate would be the best location for Marvel), but in general, no, they don't need a 5th gate...
Then it would never happen because I doubt Universal will ever give up rights to Marvel in Orlando. And it would cost Disney tens of billions of dollars to get the rights from Universal. Disney would basically not only have to buy the rights from Universal, but also give them enough money to tear down or completely redo Marvel Superhero Island at IOA and possibly also enough money to secure new IP for that land.
Is there a balance between existing parks so much that ticket prices have to be raised to unsustainable levels, and building a fifth park? You also have to take into consideration the logistics of either expanding the other parks or adding a park, as each presents different challenges for traffic, utilities, flow of people, etc.
I don’t think a 5th theme park is necessary , however it’s not a bad idea. What they need to accept with that choice though is people will likely no longer be visiting every park during their trip anymore. That said, if they add a 5th gate it will offer another option for consumers who don’t care for one of the existing parks and may keep people on property longer. Lets say they don’t have any more expansions planned for AK and HS, they will remain 1/2 day parks. The next park must be a super park on the level of Epic.
I agree with everyone saying fix what’s there already but counter point:
Villains only park
Would allow there to not be reserving lines online for rides like guardians at Epcot
I think a 5th gate would be beneficial for Florida, as since Disney is more popular at the moment, Epic Universe would have less people in it, making it more enjoyable
If Disney builds a new park they should base it on their 20th century studios properties and aim it at an older audience. Alien, predator, and planet of the apes are perfect for land ideas and they already have avatar. Plus a 20th century would finally allow Disney to make a true competitor to Halloween horror nights.
just yesterday it was announced that Disney will be paying $2.6 BILLION annually over the next 11 years to the NBA for broadcasting rights. we're not seeing any major investments in the parks anytime soon.
How was the attendance at Disneyland when California Adventure was opened?
A fifth park will just split guests between their parks. A 7 day vacation is hectic enough with 4 parks, 2 water parks, several entertainment districts. Going to 4 parks, a water parks, and another entertainment venue is exhausting.
Both water parks have seasonal maintenance closures, and only draw around 2 million guests annually, which is a fraction of what the "dry" parks draw (8 million to 20 million), even though they are the top water parks in the world in terms of attendance. Not many guests are visiting both water parks on a single trip. A fifth theme park might make sense for Disney to lock in those who are doing a full week rather than them venturing off resort to something like Sea World or Universal.
@vamoscruceros I know the water parks are season but a 7 day trip requires 2 days of travel as well. 4 parks plus a water park, or a relax day, or another theme park outside Disney still is a lot. The water parks have gone seasonal because Disney knows they can't operate both when many might skip a water park day to go to an off-site park.
That's only if you try to do everything in one trip. Having a 5th park along with improvements to the existing 4 parks would provide incentives for multiple returns visits. That should be their goal. Getting new guests while retaining old guests. That's how Disney used to operate before Bob Iger took over. He was a lousy weather man, and he's a he's a lousy CEO. He has single handedly ruined The Walt Diney Corporation.
@@brianhernandez589 Disney is about quality over quality, and understanding those that stay at their hotels should have access to all the parks. 5 parks at Disney will consume all their time, but they will go elsewhere to please other members.
Disney needs to expand and i heard on someone else’s video on youtube they did research and believe a new park is going to be built soon. they need to expand
"We're building a new theme park in the next 15 years."
Cut to Universal opening its 8th park.
+ halloween horror nights all 365 days at the approved and confirmed universal studios las vegas
just a random thought, what if disney or universal built another park but in tampa or miami? its close enough that orlando visitors can go there (especially with brightline now) but it may not mess with the orlando market too much. otherwise just build a two park resort in texas or something
Idea for your next video: Will Universal Orlando build a 3rd theme park?
You mean a 4th? They're already building a 3rd.
I’m gonna say yes! What will the theme be? That’s the only question that remains a mystery!
I wish we Midwest folks got some Disney Magic....
*(Sigh)*
"You think you do but you don't."
You get the same Disney Magic as everyone else...just fly to Orlando. Disney is never going to build a park in the midwest. People aren't going to fly into the midwest just to go to a theme park when there's nothing to do around it. Disney isn't interested in building regional parks.
I certainly hope not; not while they're too cheap to run the parks they've already got at full capacity, Chronic understaffing and staff demoralization, buildings sitting empty and unused, attractions constantly breaking down from lack of preventive maintenance (and things as simple as keeping spare parts on hand), no concept of Crowd Control 101, etc. Building a fifth park would be like adding a room to your house instead of taking the garbage out.
11:07 you showed this diagram and said the opposite of what it represents. but nice vid was enjoyable
Don’t know when we will see it implemented and built, but Universal already has started on plans for a fourth theme park.
They have the space. They have the money. They have the drive. They want the revenue.
They need to put more attractions in their other three theme parks besides the magic Kingdom first before they even think about opening a fifth park. That would make people happy!
I also can’t help but love the way you trash talk Disney like Uni is so much better. It’s actually hilarious. The quality isn’t even comparable. Uni asks you for a satisfaction survey as soon as you scan into the park. The low wait times at Uni parks is because the rides actually suck really bad. Who wants to waste time on a Hollywood Tram tour ride like F&F and Kong. The fact that your promoting Universal as much as you do makes me think your getting some type of compensation from them. The only think they have over Disney right now is HHN.
This comment is just for fun but like:
..Imagine for a second, an Anti-Magic Kingdom. A Magic kingdom for villains with like more teens/adults park with coasters and stuff
Who is here after watching D23
How do you build a 5th Park without building a 5th Park? Easy... Just build a 5th park's worth of content through four current parks.
Actually I'm on record saying I'm okay with a fifth gate. I don't believe the market has reached its saturation point. I believe there is sufficient appetite for premium experiences that have great value. Emphasis on the value part.
Take a look at all the other parks that are currently in development across the country... The Mattel Park (and they are already talking about expanding ), Universal Frisco, American heartland, or whatever they're calling that, and a few others. Additionally, consider how the cruise lines are adding mega ships left and right. Somebody is filling up those cruise ships, right?
Lastly does anyone doubt that at some point Universal will add a fourth gate in Orlando? With all the land surrounding epic Universe and all the rumors about future expansion, I think it's a solid bet that at some point we will see a fourth gate for Universal.
At the end of the day I think the bottom line is do you have great attractions at a great price point that people want to see.
If Disney decides on a fifth gate, then it's obviously a long-term investment. I don't think they would expect immediate ROI. A project like that would have a 20 - 25 year projection.
I think three parks is enough for Universal for now considering they have to update Universal Studios Florida and replace the Lost Continent. However I agree that Universal will build a 4th gate sometime in the future.
@@jaydenchrist6152 I do agree. However, Universal appears to have no fear in building multiple projects at once. As we speak, they are well under way with Fast n Furious over in Hollywood, they have already began moving earth in Frisco & they will be announcing any day now, that they will be moving forward with Universal Great Britain. Additionally, the Simpsons IP expires in 2028, and I doubt they will leave a hole that big at Studios.
That's 4 projects likely to be going on at the same time within 5 yrs. And this is not to mention, the substantial rumors for Creature from the Black Lagoon in Dark Universe, Luigi's Mansion in SNW, Zelda for Lost Continent and the replacement for Spiderman in Universal Japan.
There is a lot on the table.
i always hear the argument that disney shouldn’t build a 5th gate because their other parks are lacking in quantity and quality (which i 100% agree with) but how come universal gets the appraisal for opening a 3rd gate when their existing 2 kind of also lack in quantity and quality. like yeah i get hagrid’s and velocicoaster are absolutely phenomenal but that doesn’t take away the fact that the rest of universals parks are in dire need of attention
I think the reason is a park issue. Like yes I agree Universal needs to update both of its current parks especially Universal Studios however two parks just aren't enough to spend a week vacation which is what Universal wants there guests to do.
They should make the other parks full day parks before opening a fifth one.
Give us that 20th century theme park.
I'm glad we're all in agreeance about this, fix the first 4 parks then maybe consider a 5th 😆
Yes
yes they will they might have a thrill park
rumor is force world.
this video is me trying to reach the word count on an essay
Yes, he uploaded!
Honestly I think there should be a 5th park. Put in IP that doesn't fit in any of the other parks.
EDIT: But WDW should address the issues currently plaguing the already-existing parks first.
your underrated, you speak funny good man
i hope the next disney park is in mexico please
If they want to
They need to fix their shit thats broken and add to the empty parks like animal kingdom and Epcot. The capacity issue can be fixed with an additional resort in Texas, so that Florida can drop back down to their old, designed capacities
And if they ever build a fifth park, there will be constant rumors of a sixth park
I don't want another park just new lands instead since Disney really don't maintain the current parks very well Pandora and splash mountain/tiannas are both evidence of this i feel like another theme park will just make a expensive holiday even more costly for guests and it's not exactly good value now
Should they I don’t know… finish the existing 4 first?
Ikr especially Animal Kingdom.
How the hell does Epcot have little to do?? Stop lmao
I don’t think Disney needs a fifth park. Upgrade animal kingdom. It currently a half day park. It needs more rides and more/better lands. The other parks are in a good place I think. But a villains land in magic kingdom, and something in the middle of the world showcase would be good.
Agreed
I really think Disney made too many parks too quickly. Universal has a bunch of possibility to expand because, in order to catch up, they need to add two theme parks and one more water park. Disney can't compete when Universal adds a theme park because they're already so far ahead.
Universal studios is looking at dfw
The reason a 5th gate is appealing is because Disney has allowed several of its parks to meander into a mushy meaningless existence, where the park's theme and layout (what IPs and ideas are located where) seem arbitrary and haphazard...like they are "just making it up as they go."
In your video you say "they seem lost" and "they seem like they are walking blind through what they're doing." Could the same be said of Universal? Absolutely not.
Over at Epic Universe they are coming on with a bold, clear, powerful vision. They have a hub/entry land that feels neutral and tied to the centerpiece hotel and then there are cohesive portal entrances to the lands, which feels organized and beautiful. It's like the Disney castle parks original hub and spoke approach but even more disciplined, as those castle parks have meandered off with lands sprouting from lands (which will get even more exaggerated with Beyond Big Thunder at Magic Kingdom and Disney Forward at Disneyland) and IPs intermingled in random ways (Star Tours in Tomorrowland yet there's an actual Galaxy's Edge Star Wars land?...An example of countless ways where the immersive potency is undermined). That "park sprawl" is what is making the Disney parks start to feel like a regional amusement parks in overall premise and layout. Whereas Epic Universe is promising a fresh, clean, start with an elegant grand scheme.
At Epic Universe, I know I'm not going to find a Mario attraction in the Harry Potter area, or Dracula in the How to Train Your Dragon land. But the same cannot be said for Disney...for example, that "Tropical Americas" area proposed for Disney Animal Kingdom which mixes Encanto with Indiana Jones...that's regional amusement park rubbish. A hodgepodge of IPs crammed together based on some weak association. It's not "best-in-class" in terms of approach to theme park design. Doing that sort of stuff is how Disney is handing the mantle of theme park excellence to Universal.
It's appealing for Disney to build a 5th park so they can start fresh, with a vision, and discipline. But, when given the chance with Disney California Adventure they completed botched the opportunity and created a weird meandering asymmetric park (with sightlines of nearby hotels and power lines!) right from the start. So it's not clear the Disney company *even understands or has the creative talent* to do what Universal can do. There is a *lack of trust* in the Disney brand nowadays (and that's what brand owners like Disney are most desperate to achieve...trust) which is a major sea-change. Universal is not just growing its resort, it's growing its consumer trust relative to Disney's.
Great points. But what if the attractions they build are world-class and absolutely fantastic? Does everything have to revolve around a cohesive park layout or rules about what should go where? For example, cosmic rewind does not belong in Epcot in my opinion, but I absolutely love the ride. So then the question might be... how much less do I enjoy the ride because it's in Epcot? And my personal answer to that is, not very much.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that, I think we place a little too much emphasis on these strict rules saying where things should go based on theming & cohesion. I would rather have a bunch of fantastic, awesome rides loosely themed than a bunch of mediocre rides that are very well-themed in cohesive lands.
@@LChatmanFL I understand your point, but I guess I don't see it as a trade off, I think we can have brilliant attractions AND a well developed environment, retail, merchandise, and food. There are different types of guests, some come for the attractions mostly, some come to sit on a bench and soak up the atmosphere, some are all about the food, and some love the merch, and of course some love different combos. I, for example, have very little interest in the food or merch, but I can respect those guests who really love those aspects and make videos and podcasts about them! I think Disney parks -- to be top of the top -- need to hit on all these aspects (or else a competitor will).
Beyond that, I do think styles and tastes in entertainment change. Bowling alleys, roller rinks, video game arcades, theme restaurants, drive-in theaters...there are many forms of entertainment that have "gone away" for the most part. I think in the world of theme parks, styles and tastes have changed too. Disneyland was a revelation when it was built, with lands based on genres like the Frontier, Adventure (jungle), Tomorrowland (the future) and Fantasy. In each land was a potpourri of attractions based on the genre. It was very strong and cohesive *for its time* compared to other amusement parks where neighboring attractions were entirely unrelated, often operated by different owners under "concession" deals (even Knott's operated like that at first).
But I think the lands that have gotten the greatest response in recent years are cohesive and "immersive" within a more specific theme or IP rather than a broad genre. The Harry Potter lands at Universal, and Cars Land at DCA being great examples domestically. I think all the lands at Epic Universe will showcase this "more modern" approach to theme parks, and be well received. But, to your point, the attractions need to be world-class and fantastic! So, just making a focused land is not enough -- Avengers Campus could have been great but is a failure, in my mind, because it lacks the world-class, fantastic attractions.
The reason there's all the talk about how Tiana's fits in -- or doesn't -- in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland, and whether nearby buildings and restaurants should be changed to a bayou setting, is because there is an expectation now for a more cohesive presentation of attractions, food, merch. So when I see Disney doing a Tropic Americas land melding Encanto and Indiana Jones, I'm thinking they are following an outdated playbook.
@@DrStarlander I enjoyed reading your response. Very well balanced, cogent and "cohesive."
I wish all discourse could be this way.
I think you're spot on when you suggest that Disney raised the bar so high in the beginning that the expectation remains there. Additionally, the ideal would be to have the best of both worlds for sure. And epic universe appears poised to offer that modern theme park design philosophy that you speak of. Meaning complete immersion and fantastic rides.
Ironically, your position actually highlights why I think a fifth gate might be best. Having to shoehorn various IPs into pre-existing lands versus building a fifth gate where you have a clean slate, is the point I am making. Imagine a park from scratch with Villains land, a Hero's Land, a YesterYear land (filled with older nostalgic IP like Bambi or other deserving older IPs, maybe 101 Dalmatians) and finally something completely original and unexpected with never before seen characters... not movie based nor tv based. They could use an original IP land to introduce more thrilling attractions or all family-based attractions. Too bad Avatar is already in AK. Imagine 17 acres of Pandora with 3 or 4 great attractions!
**Edit Too bad they can't use Marvel in Orlando. Avengers Campus might have been better in Orlando.
@@LChatmanFL
Likewise, thanks for the fun exchange of thoughts!
Imagine a park like Disney Sea coming to Orlando i would absolutely love it. Anyways you are right as of right now under Iger disney dosent have the discipline to build an immersive 5th park due to their current phase of IP dumping in areas they don't really fit. A fifth theme park in the Iger Era would just be another Disney Adventure World in Paris. Say what you want about Eisner he knew how to make a coherent theme for a park like Animal Kingdom and MGM Studios even if the theme of the park was not that great like California Adventure.
If it isn't the political conditions, it's going to be global warming and water woes. A 25-year investment might not be a great idea at this point...
Aside from that, it's a matter of properly funding operations & maintenance. I'm not sure if more people-eaters will help or if it will just be a red queen's race. Add capacity, demand increases still further.
Hopefully they don’t build a 5th park in Orlando. Visiting 4 parks is already now at the limit of affordability for a lot of people. So they should rather focus on optimizing the existing parks, so they are competitive with Universal.
They should make a park for older enthusiasts, so instead of family rides there should be more heavily themed rollercoasters like Cosmic Rewind, and if they did, it could be the greatest Disney park.
Nah. Disney is to prideful and will ignored the problem.
Universal doesn’t have a full day park either, as evidenced by how early they close every day.
They're open until 9 and 10pm every night. What are you talking about? They can't have the same hours of operation as WDW during some times of the year (mainly after summer) because of their proximity to the residential area UO is currently in. This is also why you never see big fireworks shows at UO either. It's just simple pyro and fireworks they go out fairly quickly.
Make make a Nintendo theme park video that I’ve been asking you for a while!
If you don’t do it I will unsubscribe
I stopped going to the Disney parks 2 years ago because of all the broken animatronics and rides breaking down. No longer worth the money to go.
I disagree tbh, Hollywood studios and animal kingdom literally have galaxys edge and pandora lol, the attendance would still be high
WHEN IS YOUR NEXT VIDEO?!
Disney should open a water park in Arizona
If it's a great product, sure. You can always defend building something that is great.
@@LChatmanFL It is 96F out right now and it’s not even 10am. Nothing to do in this state.
@@frogcatdog I live in Tampa, trust me I know what you're talking about. However we do have the theme parks and beaches so...
If Disney adds a 5th gate before addressing the genuinely pathetic capacity at Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom, then we’ll know the golden age of Disney Parks is over
It been over for years